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| Last 3 Dates With Special Guests! | |
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Thursday April 24, 2008 - 8:00 PM Black Cat 1811 14th St NW Washington DC 20009 *The Peoples Price of $10.00* "JUSTICE TOUR" Special guests Boots Riley of the Coup, Outernational, Wayne Kramer of MC5, Popparoc, The U-Liners, Collective, Ryan Harvey of Riot Folk, and others to join Morello's alter ego, The Nightwatchman & the Freedom Fighter Orchestra!!! On April 25, Morello to meet with Iraq Veterans Against the War during day of education and activism! Sunday April 27, 2008 - 7:30 PM Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Ave Boston, MA 02115 $15.00 "JUSTICE TOUR" Featuring The Nightwatchman & Special Guests State Radio, Boots Riley of the Coup and Wayne Kramer of MC5. Morello will partner with Healthcare-NOW at rally to push for universal healthcare in the United States Thursday May 1, 2008 - 6:00 PM Park West 322 W Armitage Ave Chicago, Illinois 60614 $10.00 "JUSTICE TOUR" Special guests: Ben Harper, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Shooter Jennings, Perry Farrell, Boots Riley of the Coup, Ike Reilly and more to join Morello's alter ego, The Nightwatchman & the Freedom Fighter Orchestra!!! Morello will partner with Service Employees International Union for April 30 Walk a Day in Our Shoes event and May Day rally in Grant Park May 1 |
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| Justice '08 Tour | |
 Apr 02 2008 - 8:00P Hotel Cafe Hollywood, California Apr 09 2008 - 8:00P Hotel Cafe Hollywood, California Apr 15 2008 - 8:00P Troubadour - West Hollywood, California Apr 17 2008 - 7:00P Nokia Theatre Times Square New York, New York Apr 20 2008 - 6:30P Parish Room at House of Blues New Orleans, Louisiana Apr 22 2008 - 7:00P Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Asheville, North Carolina Apr 24 2008 - 8:00P Black Cat Washington DC Apr 27 2008 - 7:30P Berklee Performance Center Boston, MA May 01 2008 - 6:00P Park West Chicago, Illinois |
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| Visit The Nightwatchman at Facebook | |
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| Nightwatchman Tab Files! | |
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I am happy to make tablature/chords/lyrics of the songs on One Man Revolution (plus some bonus tracks) available for your enjoyment. These are songs to fan the flames of discontent so start strumming and begin fanning. Love, The Nightwatchman Click on "LYRICS" in the menu above to get the tabs! |
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| Cole Sessions Videos! | |
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"The Road I Must Travel" Live Cole Sessions Video! "One Man Revolution" Live Cole Sessions Video! |
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| A Message From Donna Smith - American SiCKO | |
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We were alone. We were afraid. Unforgiveable, but true. But not any more. Now we are a group of citizens joined to fight for free, universal health care for every American. We are American Patients for Universal Health Care. And we have Tom's song, 'Alone Without You' as our anthem and our battle cry. If you saw Michael Moore's 'SiCKO' then you heard the song and you saw many of us -- the people battered by the broken U.S. health care system. Visit our website, apuhc.com, and tell your story -- you are not alone. Join us at one of our solidarity vigils for health care justice on Sept. 28 (in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Kansas City or Denver) -- see http://apuhc.com/default.htm for more details or visit http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/blog/. Give us a bit of a donation if you want to -- we have little but our spirits to carry on. We want to change this world. Universal, single-payer health care is a human right. No one should die or suffer because they could not get care. Join us. We're alone without you. Peace, Donna Smith American SiCKO Founder, American Patients for Universal Health Care |
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| Tom on Acoustic Cafe | |
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Tom's segment is airing this week on Acoustic Cafe. It came out as a powerful bit of independent radio! It can be heard at www.acafe.com, or the archive at www.MLive.com/cafe |
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| Alone Without You video | |
 The Nightwatchman's "Alone Without You" Video Shot By Danny Clinch, To Debut On Michael Moore's WebsiteMorello Penned Song In Fever of Inspiration After Seeing "Sicko"; Songs Lands in Film's Credits And As 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records) Bonus Track The new music video of The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, debuted on Michael Moore's website on August 17 ( http://www.michaelmoore.com ). Renowned photographer and filmmaker Danny Clinch shot the video backstage at Bonnaroo festival, intercutting film of Morello with footage from "Sicko." The song appears over the feature film's closing credits. Morello wrote the song "Alone Without You" following a screening of Moore's "Sicko" in New York. In a fever of inspiration, Morello wrote the song from his hotel room and recorded it several weeks later. He says, "'Alone Without You' is a testament to the struggle and loss faced by millions of Americans who are cast aside by a healthcare system that puts profit before people and families." Epic Records has added the song to The Nightwatchman album 'One Man Revolution' as a bonus track and the song has become a staple of live concerts. Click here to see the two artists interview one another as part of MySpace's Artist On Artist series: http://creative.myspace.com/groups/_mh/aoa/pages/mmoore_tmorello/mmoore_tmorello.html Morello and Moore share a history together. Moore directed the videos for Rage Against the Machine's "Sleep Now In The Fire" and "Testify" and Morello (as The Nightwatchman) opened for Moore on a speaking tour in 2004. Call To Action! This year At&t did live webcasts of the Bonnaroo festival in which they censored several bands any time they spoke of Bush, etc. The Nightwatchman was one of those artists who got censored when he spoke of being sick of the Bush Administration. At&t are trying to deny that they did this, so what we need is a captured stream of the At&t free webcast. We need a fan who used one of the many recording technologies that allow you to record a stream you are viewing on your computer so we have some proof. If you have this, please send us a message through MySpace. Thank you. |
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| New Song in Michael Moore's "Sicko" | |
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NEW NIGHTWATCHMAN SONG TO APPEAR OVER CREDITS OF MICHAEL MOORE'S FILM "SICKO" "ALONE WITHOUT YOU" TO BE ADDED TO 'ONE MAN REVOLUTION' (EPIC) FOR DIGITAL RELEASE BY JULY 3 The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) has written and recorded a new song that will be played over the closing credits of Michael Moore's new film "Sicko." Morello sings "Alone Without You" from the point of view of a dying man with his nylon string guitar joined by a mandolin, also played by Morello. Plans are in the works to reissue the Nightwatchman album 'One Man Revolution' with "Alone Without You" included in the tracklisting for digital release by July 3 and in stores this summer. The track will be available ala carte via iTunes and other digital download stores. Morello sings, "Sick cause this hammering litany of sins/Is bangin' and burnin' and I can't stand the din/Sick cause the darkness keeps seepin' on in/Sick to be leaving my family and friends" Footage of Morello at Bonnaroo was filmed for use in an "Alone Without You" music video to be intercut with footage from "Sicko." Fans have already posted a clip of Morello playing the song in Cologne, Germany on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Xh824dgtKA In fact, a YouTube search turns up over 150 clips of the Nightwatchman while a Google blog search calls up almost 2,000 hits: http://tinyurl.com/yr7t28 "Sicko" opened June 22 in New York and June 29 nationally. |
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| WMVY/Tom Morello at NonComm 2007 | |
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Listen to Tom's Interview and Performance at WMVY here: http://mvyradio.com/music_info/non-comm_2007.php (Scroll down to find the interview.) |
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| Listen to WTMD's Interview w. Tom Morello | |
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Listen to WTMD's "Live from Louisville " Interview w. Tom Morello - Friday 9am (EST) Listen Live @ www.wtmd.org Full Interview & Podcast availabe (after on-air airing) @ http://www.wtmd.org/noncomm2007/louisville2007.htm |
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| Nightwatchman Tour Diary | |
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Coachella was a mighty weekend indeed. There was a Nightwatchman performance on Saturday in the appropriately titled Gopi tent. Temperatures reached 107 degrees in the shade. I kept a very low profile on the Coachella weekend. The Nightwatchman and Rage Against the Machine were going to be a lot to juggle so I hid in the hotel for the most part. Making my way out into the blistering heat for the 5 pm Nightwatchman show on Saturday, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought that it was possible that at the tent there would be arrant concert goers or Rage Against the Machine fans chomping at the bits and ready to mosh, but not necessarily listen. I was pleasantly surprised to find thousands of eager and open ears awaiting me when I stepped on to the stage in the sweltering heat. A self-imposed curse of having to wear my Nightwatchman uniform of heavy black jeans, button down black shirt and black cap, made sure that I put style before comfort paid a heavy toll. The audience was awesome and while some people were familiar with the songs, everyone seemed to know the right places to cheer and the right places to remain spookily silent. The set list was as follows: One Man Revolution, Union Song, Maximum Firepower, The Road I Must Travel, Flesh Shapes the Day, Let Freedom Ring, House Gone Up in Flames, and This Land is Your Land. The highlight of the show was a rousing rendition of This Land is Your Land where I was joined on stage by Perry Farrell and Boots Riley of The Coup. We unearthed the lesser-known rebel verses of the timeless Woody Guthrie classic and Boots free-styled and awesome hip-hop verse which injected a 21st century immediacy into this great rebel anthem. The Nightwatchman One Man Revolution Tour is beginning with the periodic shows leading up to the official tour beginning in Toronto. A stop on the way though was at the Claremont college benefit show hosted by Ben Harper and played in a 2,000 seat college auditorium. This show was very interesting in that it was a crowd of local townsfolk of all ages from beautiful Claremont. They were attentive and The Nightwatchman was appreciative. The set list from that show was One Man Revolution, Union Song, Maximum Firepower, Flesh Shapes the Day, Midnight in the City of Destruction, House Gone Up in Flames, No One Left, Guerrilla Radio, and This Land is Your Land. I played No One Left as a request from a Nightwatchman super-fan in the parking lot. The Nightwatchman does not normally take requests, but she asked REAL nice. Ben Harper asked me to join him on his cover for Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War”, a song I had never sung so I hurriedly scribbled down some cheat sheets. While it was unusual to play sitting down with the great Ben Harper sitting down orchestra, I had a fine time and “Masters of War” is very much a song of the moment. The Nightwatchman One Man Revolution Tour officially began in the great white north on May 16, 2007. I flew to Toronto and experienced/endured a long day of promotion, skipping between radio stations and in person interviews for print. Generally the level of journalism in Canada is pretty high and it was an engaging day of thoughtful questions and live performances on a number of radio stations. My good friend Bob Ezrin was in Toronto, you may know him as the guy who produced Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” or Kiss’s “Destroyer” or more recently Jane’s Addiction’s “Stray” album. He’s a great guy and a huge fan of music and on the night of my show at the horseshoe tavern, Bob brought me to an earlier show to see the Arcade Fire play their show in a beautiful old theater. While I was so weary from the days work, I could hardly stand. The Arcade Fire were awesome and played most of their two great albums “Funeral” and “The Neon Bible” to rapturous applause from the packed house. I then had to scurry over to my own show at 11 pm and was blown away by the packed house of Nightwatchman fans eager for a Nightwatchman thrashing. The crowd, which I understand was peppered with Audiophiles taking me up on my offer for free admittance to Nightwatchman shows in return for their gracious support over the last 5 years, made for one of my favorite shows that I’ve ever played to date. The set list went like this: Union Song, One Man Revolution, Maximum Firepower, Midnight in the City of Destruction, Flesh Shapes the Day, No One Left, House Gone Up In Flames, Garden of Gethsemane, Guerrilla Radio, Let Freedom Ring, The Road I Must Travel, This Land is Your Land, and Until the End. There was an amusing banter with some members of the audience including unusual fights at a Tom Morello show..frisky female fans. But really, the audience could not have been better. Many knew the words and were pin drop silent during the spookier parts of the songs—much appreciated! Later that evening after the show I went out with some local friends, including the members of a great Toronto band called Nice Cat and we stumbled across last years winner of Canadian Idol, the equivalent of American Idol. He was a dreamy, young Robert Plant looking dude who was very popular at the bar we were at. We sat there exchanging stories of rock, pop and folk and I’m afraid perhaps drank too much, making the 7 am flight to Louisville the next morning somewhat less exciting for The Morningwatchman. Matters were compounded when Northwest Airlines lost all of my luggage including my guitars and I was scheduled that afternoon to play at several radio stations in Louisville. Another thrilling day of radio promotion followed, without guitars, for enjoying the quiet, laid back Louisville vibe. Show day in Louisville! I was scheduled to perform at a conference for pubic radio broadcasters and fans in Louisville, Kentucky. As a big fan of race horsing, I was tempted to blow off the whole day and head over to Churchill Downs but I resisted the temptation and The Nightwatchman is good to his word. More promotional stuff occurred during the day including surprisingly good sushi that they have there in central Kentucky. Though the city is clearly not near anywhere schools of yellowtail and tuna, the sushi was top-notch as was the hospitality. The service at McDonald’s was excruciatingly slow, in case you’re interested. The first night of promotion ended up in a place called Rock Bar in Louisville and the guest performer that night was Marky Ramone, the drummer of The Ramones, who was oddly jamming along with some DJ spinning Ramones songs. I was hustled into a “V.I.P.” area which meant that the owner of the club got to arrange a photo shoot with me and 200 of his friends while Marky played drums in the background. All in all it was a fun time. The horrifically effective Irish Car Bomb drink made its return (kids, stay away from this one) in Louisville. I was scheduled to play a short set for the public radio broadcasters who are very different and a far more genteel lot than the alternative radio DJs and programmers who I’ve spent much of my career with. I enjoyed my time with them. I played about 5 songs for a jam-band oriented audience that was very much looking forward to seeing Mo later in the evening. During the show I received a gift bag from a Nightwatchman fan that was filled with two exotic blends of fancy Kentucky bourbon…like I needed any more to drink. Again, much appreciated and they were very tasty. I brought one bottle home to share with friends back here. Anyways, I went back for more Kentucky-style sushi that night and tried to order a bluegill roll or a catfish tartar but was unable to. I went home the next day to pack my bags for an upcoming trip to Europe. See you soon! |
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| The Nightwatchman "The Road I Must Travel" Video! | |
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Click here to watch The Nightwatchman's "The Road I Must Travel" video!
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| The Nightwatchman Answers Your Questions via The Brand New Podcast!! | |
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The NIGHTWATCHMAN himself - Tom Morello, calls in to answer your questions and discuss his new release, One Man Revolution, in his new audio podcast series. Visit iTunes to download episodes and subscribe to the podcast. If you don't have iTunes, you can click here to download the individual podcast episodes.
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| THE NIGHTWATCHMAN DEBUT ALBUM - AVAILABLE NOW! | |
 ON TOM MORELLO'S SOLO DEBUT AS THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, SONGS OF BITTERNESS AND REVENGE ARE A DARK RESPONSE TO A WORLD IN TURMOIL ALBUM 'ONE MAN REVOLUTION' - AVAILABLE NOW! Order the album now and get a free digital download of The Nightwatchman's new single "The Road I Must Travel"! Click here for details You can also download/stream the album from iTunes | Napster | Real | Rhapsody | Connect When you download the album from iTunes, you'll get a free bonus track ("Branding Iron") and a digital booklet! Musician and political and social activist Tom Morello's stark new album as The Nightwatchman, 'One Man Revolution,' is a dark, urgent portrait of a world in turmoil, 13 songs of "bitterness and revenge." Morello, the Grammy Award-winning guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, compares war zones in the US and Iraq, proclaims that Jesus was black and pinpoints the sociopolitical struggles of the American leftist underground in the series of self-penned originals, singing and playing acoustic guitar for the first time on record. |
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| Ask The Nightwatchman | |
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Got a burning question for The Nightwatchman himself - Tom Morello? Go to NightwatchmanMusic.com/asktom to submit your question. Then stay tuned to NightwatchmanMusic.com and MySpace.com/TheNightwatchman to hear your answer!
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| New Tour Dates Announced! | |
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The Nightwatchman has just announced new dates at the Hotel Cafe, as well as dates with Ben Harper! Check the TOUR PAGE for details!
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| The Nightwatchman: LIVE from SXSW | |
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[CLICK HERE] to check out Tom's appearance with Steve Seel of Minnesota Public Radio, recorded 3/16 @ Buffalo Billiards in Austin for SXSW, or listen to Best of SXSW 2007, originally broadcast 3/19 by WNYC. There you'll find the audio links right below the picture.
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| MARCH 23: Message from Tom | |
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Hey there! I just got back from the SXSW extravaganza in Austin, TX. and I'll tell you, it was quite a time. Got up at about five a.m. to go to the airport on Thursday and when I arrived in Texas, I hit the ground running. I played a few early Nightwatchman sets for radio stations around the country and all of this led up to the big show on Thursday night. I had hoped to have friends down with me to play "Hotel Cafe" style, but I was very surprised by the exceptional turnout for what was to become one of my favorite nights of music ever. First of all, who just happened to be on my plane flying to Texas, and I recognized him because I saw a guy carrying his famous hat walking past. So I followed the hat and it eventually led to Slash. I tracked him down and asked him to come and play that night and he was more than happy to oblige. Then later, right before showtime, I got a text message from Les Claypool saying that he was in the area so I asked him to come down as well. Already built into the evening were Perry Farrell and his great new band, Satellite Party, featuring Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, and then our dear friend, Wayne Kramer, was also in town for the conference and was lured to the stage as well. On drums, of course, was the effervescent Breckin Meyer, star of stage and screen. That was the line up for what was a very exciting evening. Perry thought that he was going to have to leave after about a half hour so rather than saving the Jane's Addiction jams for the finale, everybody on the stage, Slash and company, opened the set with Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song" and the roof nearly came off of the place. We rocked "Ain't No Right", one of my all time favorite Jane's jams. Before the multitude left the stage, I played a five song Nightwatchman set which was well received by the now pumped up crowd. Our good friend Alexi Murdoch was in town as well and the ensemble returned to the stage to play one of his songs. Then Wayne Kramer took the mic for a ripping version of the MC5s all time great jams, "Kick Out The Jams". Then it was time once again for everybody to return to the stage to share lead vocals on the Woody Guthrie rebel anthem "This Land Is Your Land" to close out he set with a highlight that I will not soon forget. So many thanks to all the great musicians involved at the Thursday's night show and to the fans who were there to soak it all up. But that was only day one! We ended up late that night at a restaurant where we actually happened to run into Boots Riley who was sneaking up behind us on a rickshaw and he joined us for some hotcakes but we sadly did not get to jam with him. Day two started early with more interviews and radio show performances. Since I was never at SXSW before, I was surprised by the multitude of domestic and foreign radio stations and bands cramming every corner of the place. The Friday night show was at a place called Stubbs and I played after Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, who put on a rocking and funky set, but before The Good, the Bad and The Queen, who turned out to be one of my favorite acts of the weekend. It was great to see Paul Simonon back onstage, wielding his bass and looking cool. The Nightwatchman set that night was a pretty good one and the crowd seemed agreeable. Saturday was Saint Patrick's Day and the barrage of interviews and daytime performances continued as well but the highlight for me was my show that night which was in an old Presbyterian church. A functioning Presbyterian church with these really nice Presbyterian church ladies who couldn't have taken better care of us. Despite my kind of fire-y Irish Catholic upbringing and the bottle of Jameson's Irish Whiskey I tried to sneak into the church, my heart was warmed by lovely Presbyterian ladies, and I think there's a hope for an end to sectarian violence in this world if only we had enough nice church ladies to go around. The audience for the show were in the actual pughs of the church and sat in rapt silence while I played my 45-50 minute long set, which contained a good many songs from the upcoming "One Man Revolution" album as well as a cover of "Guerilla Radio". The night was a special one. My dear aunt Isabel, who recently passed away, was a very devout woman and I think she would have been very pleased, proud and surprised to see her nephew performing in a church setting. I look forward to rocking more churches in the future. The rest of the night was a wild St. Paddy's night on the town. I finally got to explore the many clubs and bars on Sixth Street as well as a very dangerous drink called "The Irish Car Bomb". The evening ended with yet one more jam at a random club. Before that, while we were having "The Irish Car Bombs", I met a guy with one of the greatest tattoos I've ever seen. I was actually wearing my t-shirt that reads "Sex, Drugs and Dungeons and Dragons". The guy and his great heavy metal band, that was just in some local bar, saw my shirt, pointed to it and then showed me the tattoo that he had on his elbow, which was a tattoo of a twenty-sided dice. So that was very crazy, for those of you who don't know means... you're safe. Late that night I ended up jamming with Queen V, the drummer from Hatebreed, our dear friend Kid Lightning, and MC Chris, who is a great rapper and voice of some character or other on the Cartoon Network, and he also happens to be from Libertyville, Ill. It's some little bar that was just packed to the rafters with drunken, Irish wannabees and we rocked pretty sturdy versions of "Guerilla Radio" and "This Land Is Your Land" to ring out the exhausting and fruitful SXSW weekend. |
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| Satellite Party | |
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Perry Farrell took a break from his new band Satellite Party to join Tom Morello on stage this past weekend during The Nightwatchman's set at SXSW. Check out the Satellite Party at myspace.com/satelliteparty
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| TOM MORELLO TO PERFORM AS THE NIGHTWATCHMAN AT TWO CHICAGO DATES, COACHELLA AND BONNAROO | |
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GET FULL DATES HERE MORE NIGHTWATCHMAN DATES COMING Tom Morello will perform at Bonnaroo, Coachella and several otherprominent dates this spring as the Nightwatchman. Morello will offer a peakat the dark, urgent songs from 'One Man Revolution' (April 24, Epic), hisdebut singing and playing acoustically. Morello says, "I'm excited to be playing Nightwatchman shows in front offestival crowds as well as union rallys. I'd also like to invite all membersof the Audioslave Fan Club [Audiophiles] to my solo shows free of charge asa thank you and to express my appreciation." LA music fans, look out for upcoming news on another Nightwatchman residencyat Hotel Café. Of a Hotel Café performance, AOL Music News said, "[Morello]can rock as hard on acoustic guitar as he does plugged in... Those fans whomanaged to get in were very fortunate indeed." In addition, Morello will perform three additional encore performances with Rage Against The Machine, as announced earlier. |
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| The Nightwatchman is Tom Morello | |
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'One Man Revolution' was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who has worked with Morello on Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave albums. O'Brien also produced Bruce Springsteen's 'The Rising' and 'Devils & Dust,' as well as albums by Pearl Jam and Incubus. The Nightwatchman is planning an extensive spring tour, including appearances at South By Southwest in March and the Coachella Festival in April. Morello has performed as The Nightwatchman for four years at political events and on 2003's Tell Us the Truth tour. He has presided over a Hotel Café residency in LA since November, which has featured many of his musical cohorts including Serj Tankian, Perry Farrell, Shooter Jennings, Nuno Bettencourt, Queen V, Sen-Dog from Cypress Hill, Jill Sobule, Boots Riley of The Coup, Alexi Murdoch, Jon Foreman from Switchfoot, Wayne Kramer from MC5 and others. The Tuesday night residency wraps up February 6,but the shows will resume later in the spring. As a producer, Morello has worked with artists as diverse as Puff Daddy, The Indigo Girls, Joe Strummer, KRS-1, Wu Tang Clan, Crystal Method and Anti-Flag. He has also scored movies such as "Collateral," "Charlie's Angels," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and "XXX: State of the Union." With his bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, Morello has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won two Grammys. He was named #26 of Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Players." Morello also formed the non-profit Axis of Justice with Serj Tankian of System of a Down to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. |
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| "THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE AMPLIFIED" - TOM MORELLO | |
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THE NIGHTWATCHMAN'S SONGS OF ACTIVIST SOLIDARITY 'ONE MAN REVOLUTION' OUT NOW ON EPIC Among the stark songs on Tom Morello's debut album as the Nightwatchman areseveral written to express solidarity with other anti-oppression activistsand instigate action. These appear on his debut album as the Nightwatchman,'One Man Revolution,' available now on Epic Records. Tom penned 'Union Song' after performing at countless union rallies and marching on picket lines. He says, "I felt like I needed a fighting song, a freedom song, written specifically to energize grocery workers on the picket line,when it gets cold at night." He sings, "For our brothers and our sisters/ Upand down that picket line/ For the unnamed and unnumbered/ Who strugglebrave and long/ For the union men and women/ Standing up and standingstrong." The song also includes a Spanish couplet, acknowledging thatfreedom struggles transcend notions of race and nation. The rousing "The Road I Must Travel" was one of the first Nightwatchmansongs composed by Morello. He says, "It is definitely meant to be sung enmasse, whether it's in the concert hall, the coffeehouse or the union hall."With echoes of the Pogues or The Clash, it's also the only song on the albumwith a full band, powerfully rendered to inspire conviction. Morello has stood on the front lines during his fair share of protests. Heperformed and spoke at the Million Immigrant March in LA, was teargassed atthe Miami protest against the Free Trade Area of the Americas, protested thedemolition of South Central Farm in LA, was arrested in a civildisobedience action with Hotel Workers Rally in LA, and in 2006 Tom was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Civil Rights Award. An eloquent coda to the album, "Until the End" is the Nightwatchman's statement of solidarity with other activists on the front lines. Morello says, "It's a song of commitment, most of all a commitment to one another -- to work and to fight for freedom, economic justice and human rights. |
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| One Man Revolution - Tracklisting | |
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THE NIGHTWATCHMAN - ONE MAN REVOLUTION 1. California's Dark 2. One Man Revolution 3. Let Freedom Ring 4. The Road I Must Travel 5. The Garden of Gethsemane 6. House Gone Up In Flames 7. Flesh Shapes The Day 8. Battle Hymns 9. Maximum Firepower 10. Union Song 11. No One Left 12. The Dark Clouds Above 13. Until The End All songs Written and Performed by Tom Morello Publisher credit: The Nightwatchman Music (BMI) Produced by Brendan O'Brien Recorded by Nick Didia Recorded at Buds Garage, Atlanta, GA, Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, GA Assisted by Tom Tapley And at Henson Recording Studio, LA, CA - Assistant Tom Syrowski |
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| TOM MORELLO TOUR DATES (NIGHTWATCHMAN DATES UNLESS NOTED)
Apr 02 2008 - 8:00P Hotel Cafe Hollywood, California Apr 09 2008 - 8:00P Hotel Cafe Hollywood, California Apr 15 2008 - 8:00P Troubadour - West Hollywood, California Apr 17 2008 - 7:00P Nokia Theatre Times Square New York, New York Apr 20 2008 - 6:30P Parish Room at House of Blues New Orleans, Louisiana Apr 22 2008 - 7:00P Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Asheville, North Carolina Apr 24 2008 - 8:00P Black Cat WASHINGTON, Washington DC May 01 2008 - 6:00P Park West Chicago, Illinois MORE TOUR DATES COMING SOON! --------------------------------- \\\----------TOUR HISTORY:----------/// --------------------------------- 5/16 Toronto, CAN @ The Horshoe Tavern 5/18 Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre Line-up: Martin Sexton, Keller Williams, The Nightwatchman, Angelique Kidjo, moe. 5/25 Lisbon, Portugal – Pavilhao Atlantico (with Dave Mathews Band) 5/27 Holland @ Pinkpop Festival 5/27 Brussels, Belgium – Forest National (with Dave Mathews Band) (**2nd show that day) 5/30 London, England – Wembley Arena (with Dave Mathews Band) 5/31 Cologne, GER @ Prime Club 6/1 Berlin, GER @ Kato 6/2 Rostock, GER @ "Move Against G8" Rally 6/4 London, UK @ The Scala London Show To Bring the Troops Home Supported by Ed Harcourt, Frank Turner, Mark Thomas & MC Mark Steel A benefit for the Stop the War Coalition: www.stopwar.org.uk 6/7 Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom (with Ben Harper) 6/9 Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove @ Harrah's Casino (with Ben Harper) 6/10 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant (with Ben Harper) 6/12 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues (with Ben Harper) 6/13 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel (with Ben Harper) 6/14 North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues (with Ben Harper) 6/16 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo 6/17 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues / Cambridge Room (all ages) 6/18 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live (all ages) 6/19 New Orleans, LA @ The parish (18+) 6/21 Atlanta, GA @ Smith's Olde Bar (21+) 6/22 Charlotte, NC @ Casbah at Tremont Music Hall (all ages) 6/23 Vienna, VA (DC) @ Jammin' Java (all ages) 6/26 New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom (16+) 6/27 Cambridge, MA @ T.T. Bear's (18+) 7/10 Detroit, MI @ Shelter 7/11 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 7/12 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 7/13 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry 7/15 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge 7/17 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge 7/18 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café 7/20 San Francisco, CA @ Swedish Hall 7/21 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour 7/28 New York, NY @ Randall's Island (Rage Against the Machine) 7/30 Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC - EQX Radio Festival (Show starts at 3:00PM) 8/04 Newport, Rhode Island - Newport Folk Festival 8/11 San Bernadino, CA @ NOS Events Center (Rage Against the Machine) The Nightwatchman will be performing at Hotel CafŽ in Hollywood, CA Nov 29th, Dec 6th and Dec 13th! www.hotelcafe.com May 4, 2007 Claremont, CA @ Bridges Auditorium at Pamona College (benefit with Ben Harper) April 29, 2007 Indio, CA @ Coachella (Rage Against the Machine) April 28, 2007 Indio, CA @ Coachella (Gobi Tent) April 24, 2007 Los Angeles, CA @ Amoeba Music (in-store appearance & signing) April 24, 2007 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café (record release with Ben Harper, Wayne Kramer and John Sinclair, Jerry Cantrell, B Real and Sen Dog) April 17, 2007 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café with Shadwrak and the Greedy Souls, Abby Travis, Carter Falco, Extreme, Mick Mars & B Real April 14, 2007 Chicago, IL @ Immokalee Workers Rally April 10, 2007 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café with David Draiman, Wayne Kramer, Jon Foreman, Jerry Cantrell, Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone, B Real March 17, 2007 Austin, TX @ Central Presbyterian Church March 15, 2007 Austin, TX @ The Parish (Hotel Café bill) March 5, 2007 Tavis Smiley (PBS) February 6, 2007 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe January 30, 2007 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe January 23, 2007 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe January 16, 2007 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe January 13, 2007 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe November 28, 2006 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe November 21, 2006 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe November 14, 2006 Los Angeles @ The Hotel Cafe October 26 & 27, 2006 Chicago @ Uprsie Finale Concert October 5, 2006 Los Angeles @ RALLY September 28, 2006 Los Angeles @ RALLY May 24, 2006 Los Angeles @ Largo May 19, 2006 Los Angeles @ South Central Farm RALLY May 1, 2006 Los Angeles @ May Day RALLY |
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June 7, 2007
The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Rides Escape Boat From Rostock, Germany The Nightwatchman On The Front Lines of Move Against G8 Rally The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, performed in Rostock, Germany, Saturday, June 2 as part of the Move Against G8 protest and rally, escaping dramatically by boat after his set. "It resembled '28 Days Later,' with the city cordoned off by police," says the singer, who was the only American artist performing for the rally. The G8 Conference is a summit meeting attended by the leaders of the world's eight economically largest nations, including Russia, the UK and the United States, on the topic of globalization. The summit takes place in nearby Heiligendamm, Germany from June 6 to June 8. An estimated fifty to sixty thousand showed up to protest the G8 conference and demand an end to the Iraq War, a sane global warming policy and an end to poverty. Though most protests were peaceful, several demonstrations in the streets soon turned into violent clashes with heavily armed police. Morello was allowed to drive into the region. "I headed into the crowd. Police began to attack the crowd with water hoses and tear gas. There were big fires. I saw members of the black bloc throwing bottles at police." Tom then took to the stage, performing impassioned Nightwatchman staples "One Man Revolution," "The Road That I Must Travel" and "Maximum Firepower." "I wanted to express my solidarity with the thousands of protestors in attendance -- the G50,000 -- against the G8." "After my set, I had to escape via small boat to the Baltic Sea. There were police boats blockading the entrance to the festival and we snuck out under cover of darkness," says the singer. The Nightwatchman begins his US tour tonight in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For more information on The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, please contact Nick Baily [nbaily@shorefire.com] or Nick Loss-Eaton [nlosseaton@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media: 718.522.7171. The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Sets NYC Show At Bowery Ballroom July 26 "Tom Morello has made the transition from guitar hero to folk hero. The Nightwatchman's 'One Man Revolution' is very powerful." - Michael Moore The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, will perform at The Bowery Ballroom July 26, in the first NYC show since the release of 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records), a dark, urgent portrait of a world in turmoil. One dollar from each ticket will go to benefit the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by Morello and Serj Tankian of System of a Down to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. Morello is offering free admission to Audiophiles, members of the Audioslave fan club, to the concert. WHO: The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello WHAT: Headlining solo concert WHERE: Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (between Bowery and Christie), NYC (212.533.2111) WHEN: 8pm doors, July 26, 2007 TICKETS: $16, available through Ticketweb or Mercury Lounge box office (16+) 'One Man Revolution' is earning excellent notice for Morello: "Tom Morello rages unplugged a la Springsteen's Nebraska." - Andy Greene, Rolling Stone "Rich vocals and hook-filled tunes." - Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly "A revelation" - Dan Epstein, Guitar World Acoustic "13 harrowing cuts" - Joe Bosso, Guitar World "Rich baritone and minimalist but moving songs." - Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times Dustin Kensrue (Thrice) will open for The Nightwatchman. The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Adds Newport Folk Festival, West Coast Tour Leg LA Times Profiles The Nightwatchman: "The Guitar Is Acoustic, No Less Savage Morello Playlist, Podcast Posted To iTunes The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, will join the storied Newport Folk Festival lineup with an August 4 appearance at the Harbor Stage. (Appropriately, Rolling Stone commented on the release of 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records) that "Morello pulls a reverse Dylan-at-Newport.") He will also add a series of midwest and west coast tour dates, including a homecoming LA show July 21 at the Troubadour. LA Times' Geoff Boucher recently encapsulated the Nightwatchman -- from relearning how to perform at open mic nights to singing in front of thousands of protestors -- with a major Sunday feature. In other Nightwatchman news, iTunes has posted Tom Morello's playlist, which shows the diversity of his influences and current favorites, from Steve Earle to Bruce Springsteen and from the Clash to DMX. Click here for Tom's playlist. Morello has also created a two-part Nightwatchman podcast, in which he answers fan questions and talks about the new album: Nightwatchman Add'l Tour Leg: July 10 Detroit, MI Shelter July 11 Chicago, IL Schubas July 13 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry July 15 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge July 17 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge July 18 Seattle, WA Crocodile CafŽ July 20 San Francisco, CA Swedish Hall July 21 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour August 4 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival (Harbor Stage) The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Interviewed By Michael Moore For MySpace.com Artist-On-Artist Video Featurette, Online Now "Tom Morello has made the transition from guitar hero to folk hero. The Nightwatchman's 'One Man Revolution' is very powerful." - Michael Moore MySpace.com is hosting exclusive video of filmmaker Michael Moore interviewing The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello as part of its Artist-On-Artist series. The interview celebrates tomorrow's release of the Nightwatchman's debut album 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records), which was produced by Brendan O'Brien. Check out the video here. During the in-depth interview, Morello reveals the origins of the Nightwatchman. After writing a set of songs he believed in, he sang them for producer Rick Rubin, who told him, "go play 100 shows." So Morello would sign up for open mic nights as the Nightwatchman during off nights on an Audioslave arena tour, slowly gaining the confidence to sing his songs effectively. "Several times," he says, "I felt as intense a connection between performer and audience as the most intense Rage Against the Machine shows." In 2004, Moore approached him to join his speaking tour. Suddenly, Morello, who had been playing for "eight people and a whirring latte machine," was in front of 12 - 15,000. Moore recalls a pivotal moment, "You just keep revealing these [new] sides. Your voice was haunting. 12,000 people in Reno were just silent; they were just mesmerized and it was that voice." Moore felt that he was "hearing something profound" from Morello on that tour. He adds, "During 'House Gone Up In Flames' or 'No One Left,' you could've heard a pin drop." The pair delve into the songs themselves. "As an artist, when you put the antenna up, you never know what's going to come down," Morello tells Moore. For example, Morello speaks candidly about finding a noose in his garage during his childhood, an image that shows up in the song "One Man Revolution." While at Harvard, Morello and friends would debate the merits of whether one should use violence to defend oneself in that situation. The Nightwatchman's solution? He's "in the bushes with a baseball bat." The friends first met when Moore directed the video for Rage Against the Machine's "Sleep Now In The Fire." Hotel Cafe Reviews - 4/24/07 Hello Friends, Well last night, 4.24.07, at the Hotel Café was the culmination of many years of work for The Nightwatchman. Last night as the record release party for his now released album, 'One Man Revolution'. The alley of the Café was packed at show time and the line stayed until almost 11PM. Full of fans and admirers, they stayed all night to get a glimpse or a handshake from the many all stars who were inside. The show began as it always does with The Nightwatchman himself mounting the stage and serving up a huge dose of attitude and heart. Last night was no different. Before he played, TM spoke to the crowd about physics a little bit. He spoke about actions and their subsequent re-actions. This album, he said, is a re-action to the corruption, lies, and deceit from the Bush Administration and all those in power who prey on the little man so that they can line their pockets even more. He played 'One Man Revolution', 'House Gone Up In Flames', 'Flesh Shapes the Day', and then an incredible cover of 'Lights Out Guerilla Radio'. He dedicated his third track to all the rebel women in the audience. He was raised by one and she was in da house last night. Mary Morello got a huge applause from the crowd when TM proclaimed her 'The Nightwatchmother'!!! Next up was such an incredible treat. When I walked into the Café last night and heard she was going to perform, I nearly fell over. Alanis graced the 200 of us who were lucky enough to squeeze in, with her presence last night. She opened with a new song she wrote called 'Not As Me'. This was the first time it had ever been performed. The stage of the Café is ripe with performances like this. It is a stage where great performers practice their new material for the few who are present. Alanis was truly amazing to see live and even more special was that it was within the context of such a special night. She closed out her set with an encore performance of 'Lights Out Guerilla Radio' and it was fucking awesome! Next up, Jerry Quickley shared a spoken word rap to the crowd with human beat box accompaniment while the truly special Alexi Murdoch prepared to rock. Alexi is a rare artist. He commands so much respect on the stage and when he performs the audience is not only silent but also still. He uses a number of foot pedals with his acoustic guitar to amp his sound and add drum beats… the product is a truly unique sound and one that I love to hear live. Alexi is by far one of my favorite performers at the Café. To me, he represents the best of the young talent coming out of this magical venue. After Alexi was Ike Riley from Liberyville, IL. He grew up in the same parts as TM and will be going on tour with him. After Ike was Ben Harper. Ben has been gracious enough to join TM at many of his events and his presence is always so warm and welcoming. Ben's voice and guitar playing are so hypnotic and the audience last night responded with huge applause at every proper moment. After 3 songs, TM joined Ben and the played 'Get Up, Stand Up'. Ben channels Marley better than most and it is always amazing to hear him to do a cover of one of those legendary tracks. Next up was Jill Sobule, who played a few tracks with Wayne Kramer of the MC5. Then she traded places with legend John Sinclair who did a few spoken word pieces with Wayne on guitar. John is such an important part of music history and it was amazing to see so many generations represented on one stage. To make the night even more surreal, Alanis then got back on the stage and played 'More Than Words' with original extreme guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt. I don't even really have words to describe this one… but it was awesome. The night was getting late but no one was leaving and there was still so much more to come for the people in attendance. Next up was the Alice in Chains!!! William Duvall mounted first and played an Aerosmith cover and then the one and only Jerry Cantrell joined him on stage and they rocked the crowd with some incredible acoustic renditions of their tunes. Then TM joined them on stage and they played Elton John's 'Down in a Hole' with Nuno on drums! Could this night get any more insane? Why yes it can… because then it was time for the ALL STAR JAM!!! First up, Mr. Cantrell Sang 'Jailbreak', then TM took out his electric guitar to play with the one and only Mickey Mars from Motley Crue. Carl Restivo, from Perry Farrell's new band 'Satellite Party' sang 'Kickstart the heart' and 'Looks that Kill'. Mickey was unreal and it was amazing to see The Nightwatchman so giddy with excitement to play the Crue songs with one of his idols. Before they played, he told the crowd a story about his time at Harvard and how often he would call the radio station to request those 2 songs. He was like a boy in a candy store last night with Mickey and it was an amazing experience for all the senses. Then Wayne Kramer sang 'Kick Out the Jams' and finally, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill mounted the stage and played 'Rock Superstar', 'How I could Just Kill a Man' , and 'Insane in the membrane'. TM Played and incredible cover of Woodie Guthrie's 'This land is Your Land' and then they finished the night off with a cover of 'California'. Sen Dog was nice enough to lead a 'Fuck George Bush' chant in the middle of the song. Most people that I spoke to after the show told me that it was the greatest show they had ever seen. I don't doubt it one bit. When do you get to see Tom Morello, Alanis, Ben Harper, Wayne Kramer, John Sinclair, Alice in Chains, Mickey Mars, and Cypress Hill in one night with only 200 people? Plus the cover charge was only 10 measly dollars!!! TM referred to it as the people's price and he is right. All the money that was raised last night and at all these Hotel Café shows go to help the homeless. The Nightwatchman said goodnight to the crowd around 1230 last night. The three-hour show, which had just taken place, was sadly over and people were getting ready to leave. TM left the crowd with one last nugget of truth and that is the line that I will leave you with. He said, "Nobody wins unless we all win"… Rock On and Peace Out- Jason Pollock Check out more from Jason Pollock at huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock and myspace.com/jasonrpollock OH. MY. PURE. GOODNESS! April 24, 2007. If you were so incredibly blessed to be in the house at the Hotel Café this night … you will never, ever forget it (and be careful, because by the end of this, I'm sure some of my profound gratitude will ooze off the page and get all over you). If you weren't … well, fix yourself a drink and settle in – a long, staggering night like this deserves a long vivid rehashing about it (although bullet points of who played would be more than impressive enough), and I need to try and do it justice. AXIS OF JUSTICE! The occasion was the release of The Nightwatchman's debut album, "One Man Revolution". Finally, People! This album is so important right NOW, I get a lump in my throat thinking about it. The Nightwatchman is thus far alone on the front line saying what NEEDS to be said, and he doesn't hold back a bit. Plus it was a parTAY, the likes of which have never been seen in one room, I promise you that. The Nightwatchman (Commander in Chief of the evening, Tom Morello) took the stage to a THUNDEROUS ovation (apt because by the end of the night it almost rained in there it was so hot) before striking one note. The respect for him from every soul in the room was palpable, and moving. He introduced the night and the album by saying that our current administration thinks it's above the law. But it is NOT above the law of physics, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This night, this album, is a direct reaction to the corrupt government, it's illicit war, the big few corporations that are making mad profit from it, while people can't afford to eat in the streets of Los Angeles. This speech inspired the first of many chill-inducing moments of the night - and then he launched into the tune "One Man Revolution". Let me tell you, this room was stuffed well beyond capacity and there was not a peep heard during this song. He followed this with Oh, LORD! "House Gone Up In Flames" (the White House? Hmmm ...) and then dedicated "Flesh Shapes the Day" to all the rebel girls in the house (thank you!), foremost among them, The Nightwatchmother, beautiful Mary Morello (who Nuno Bettencourt declared, "the hottest chick in the room". True, that.) Hoo-ooo-oo! The crowd already knew the hoot part, so great to hear. Guess what he finished his set with? Going out to the people going to Coachella this weekend, and more importantly, to the people going to climb the fence at Coachella this weekend ... that's right, "Guerilla Radio"! TURN THAT SHIT UP! We could've all gone home then, satisfied. But that is not Nightwatchman's style ... Who should take the stage next but - Alanis Morissette! Looking shiny and lovely, she was the first of many artists to get up there and thank Tom, not only for putting together this astounding evening, but for his sheer inspiration. She played new songs, and the first had never been played out before, "I As We". Her voice is as strong as ever and lifted our hearts with ease. Next was one called "Blister Sister", I think, and then, dedicating it to Tom, she played HER version of "Guerilla Radio". Totally different, almost unrecognizable until the chorus, and once again, the crowd got to yell, "TURN THAT SHIT UP!" I don't believe anyone would have minded if everyone had played their version - in fact, that idea got yelled out a bunch. SO fun. Thanks, Alanis! Libertyville, Illinois has a whole lot to proud of ... they produced one school of rock, Rage Against The Machine and Tool, and another, The Nightwatchman and Ike Reilly. Ike played only one song, but his folky fire fit right in and the crowd showed the love. He has an album coming out called "We Belong To The Staggering Evening" - and we sure did. Mr. Ben Harper. Do I really need to say anything more? He played three songs and no one moved, other than to scream their love at the end of each song. The first was about roses from friends that simply broke your heart. The next, about gospel, put it back together again. Then his lap guitar came out and it was all over ... I can't remember what it was about because I was in a complete joy trance. He too professed his love and admiration for Tom, and you could tell how truly honored he felt to be there (and he said so). THEN Tom and Carl Restivo and Breckin Meyer joined Ben and they played "Get Up, Stand Up"! Cough! Sputter! Gasp! How long was I out?! That thrilling version of Marley's classic knocked me flat out cold. Ben, Ben, Ben. You're too much. And BRECKIN! My old friend, if I had known you'd be playing perfect drums for Ben Harper one day, I'd have been so much nicer to you! (fine, I take it back, you don't look that much like Willem Dafoe from "Wild At Heart". Love.) The interlude while they sorted out who was to come next was filled by Poet, Jerry Quickley, from KPFK, slamming it down, accompanied by his beat-boxer buddy. Respect! I feel strongly, though unsure of the exact chronology, that when Nick Drake left this world, Alexi Murdoch took his place. This gentle troubadour entranced the crowd with "All My Days" and two more that left you wanting more. He spoke about how we spend billions (with a B) on video games in this country, and perhaps it's time to re-prioritize a bit and focus more on what MATTERS. Say it, Alexi! Next up, Tom's old friend, Jill Sobule. With WAYNE KRAMER of the MCmofo5 (!) on guitar, and a fiddler to boot, Jill spun two tales with her usual wit and grace - that also happened to rock. {Though there was no intermission at this marathon of Rock and Roll majesty - I will understand if you need one now. Go get a snack, take a bathroom break, check messages - I'll wait} HEY! So Wayne Kramer stayed on the stage and brought up the Poet, John Sinclair. With his Col. Sanders goatee and Counter Culture patina, Professor Sinclair schooled the kids with two poems (one about how we're entitled to our bad habits, simply put, ruled) backed up by Wayne on the guitar. This man was the manager of MC5, the leader of the White Panther Party, and the subject of John Lennon's song, "John Sinclair". He was imprisoned in 1969 for giving two joints to an undercover narc and everyone took up his cause. He was released three days after Lennon performed that song at a benefit for Sinclair. And I'm fairly certain that conviction didn't deter him from his herb. Take THAT! Nuno Bettencourt (he gets this - !!! - every time after his name) came up and invited Alanis back to duet with him on "More Than Words". Alanis said to Nuno, "I had such a boner for you when I was a teenager". (*Alanis, dear - the line for that crush is very, very long and it starts way, way behind me ... Kapeesh?) It turned out to be much more than a duet because the ENTIRE crowd joined in, making it more of a master chorale. Me = Giddy. Tom as M.C. said this was like a "Pinko Jerry Lewis Telethon" - right on! Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs were again the beneficiaries of the night's cover charge (the "People's Price of $10 U.S.) that came to roughly $1 per Superstar. The Deal of the Century. Honestly, if you EVER hear about The Nightwatchman playing anywhere near you - Do not hestiate. SPRINT! He was many powerful friends ... that simply LOVE to play with him. Who wouldn't? He next introduced the crowd to William Duvall. He has taken over the Layne Staley role in Alice In Chains. No easy feat, to be sure. He played an obscure Aerosmith song called "Seasons of Wither" - beautifully - and earned the crowd's acceptance handily. He was then joined by yep, Mr. Jerry Cantrell. They opened with a lush, gorgeous rendition of Elton John's "Curtains". SO pretty, they should record it post-haste. My ears are still ringing a bit from the reaction to the opening chords of Alice's "Down In A Hole". Whoa. Even the Layne Superlovers (I heard their conversation) in front of me had that frown with raised eyebrows look that indicates "impressed" for William. A classic. Leading to another classic, Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak", for which they were joined by Nuno (!!!) on drums - what? That much talent is just no fair. If you see him, bow. He'll understand. Tom was on guitar and said it was one of his favorite moments in his Hotel Cafe history. I concur. Then Wayne Kramer came back up and they proceeded to "Kick out the Jams"! I cannot find proper adjectives to describe the people in the room at this point - they stank, they were sweating, they were uncomfortable and squished - but I've never seen so many people so truly happy at the same time. But they were about to get even happier, as this had all been "just the opening acts", Tom half-joked. Who should show up next but Mick Mars from Motley Crue! (At least I think it was him - he could have been animatronic as his facial expression didn't change one single time - I watched) He looked a little frail, but man, he sure can still shred the bejezus out of his guitar. The crowd begged for Tom to go electric for this one, so he strapped on Nuno's (!!!) guitar and went for it. Carl Restivo, the Chameleon of Rock (last week he was Sting, this week, a very convincing Vince Neil) took over vocal duties for "Kickstart My Heart" (WOW!) and "She's Got The Looks That Kill". Time travel ... we could all have very easily been in spandex pants and gigantic hair and called it the 80's. Metal. What can you say about Cypress ("CYY-PRESS!") Cypress Hill ("CY-PRESS HILL!!") except "Yeeeeee-ah!" Sen-Dog and B Real joined the rest of the gang to throw down "Rock Superstar", "Kill A Man", and "Insane In The Membrane". Through the hazy room, it was clear that the folks had now, for absolute sure, gone insane. Insane in the brain! Tom took back over the mike (and Breckin took back over the drums) and the Love Fest continued on. Tom was toasted with a bottle of champagne, which he drank from and then, a true man of the people, passed it around to the crowd. And introduced "This Land Is Your Land"! The song we all learned in third grade by Woody Guthrie began as a protest song - and that tradition was proudly carried on this night. The whole room sang along every word - and I got more chills. The songs lesser known verses were not taught to us as kids because, as Tom said, they didn't want us to grow up one day, be at a Nightwatchman show and decide to take BACK OUR country. Well, the word is out now - and if we can all just remember that moment (with everyone literally JUMPING in unison) and pass it on - things WILL change. Guaranteed. The last song of the night - though no one wanted it to end - was Tupac's "California Love" with Sen Dog taking over the lead. Again, everyone sang along ... especially when the end turned into a "Fuck Bush" chant (B-word was most certainly not welcomed to this jam) which merged into "U.S.A.!! " in a proud of us, of what we CAN be, shout-out. Wayne Kramer finshed it off with a Hendrix-ian "Star Spangled Banner" riff, while Tom shouted into the mike, "THANK YOU! REMEMBER, NO ONE WINS UNLESS WE ALL WIN!" Well, we ALL won who were at this rocking, sweat-drenched, ecstatically exhausted show. Thank YOU, Tom. Thank you for taking the leader role on your shoulders and getting out there to DEMAND a difference. Thank you for sharing your incredible talents and talented friends with us. Thank you for ALWAYS fighting for the people and against the power. It goes so far past his sweet guitar solos, dudes. Bono-Schmono. I'm contacting the good folks in my Motherland's Oslo and nominating TOM for the Nobel Peace Prize. No one out there deserves it more. Again, THANK YOU! What can we do in return, you may wonder? Thank Tom when you see him. Buy "One Man Revolution". Learn the words. Understand the words. ACT on them. Give a fuck. Get MAD. STAY mad. TELL people about tonight. GO to a show yourself. Get involved. Volunteer. Vote. March. Remember the feeling. Spread the LOVE. And maybe, just maybe, The Nightwatchman will be able to title his sophomore album, "Millions of People Revolution". My fist is raised in solidarity. Is yours? - Carol Gronner “Three chords and the truth” Tom Morello Digs Deep as the 'Nightwatchman' "Night" and the City Guitar World Interview "The black Robin Hood of folk music" The Nightwatchman "in" The Drum Tom Morello Talks About His 'One Man Revolution' Entertainment Weekly reviews the Nightwatchman! Tom Morello as The Nightwatchman in Guitar World Acoustic!
The Nightwatchman - Newsday Interview
The Nightwatchman featured in The May 2007 issue of HARP Magazine.
Rolling Stone Online has run a preview of The Nightwatchman album in their 'Spring Music Preview: Fifty Must-Hear Albums'
"In the middle of this chaotic mess was Morello, who, after being just-the-guitarist for so many years, is coming into his own as a frontman. He's got a booming, espresso-rich voice, a nice way with traditional Americana, and most of all, a genial, funny, stage presence that makes a big club feel like a small living room. "Have a nice weekend," he ended the show, "But you won't top that shit!" He might have been right." Entertainment Weekly Popwatch Blog - SXSW: Nightwatchman Patrols After Hours with Celebrity Pals "Morello went Dylan on the crowd as his political-singer alter-ego the Nightwatchman. Strumming an acoustic guitar and playing harmonica on a rack, he did half a dozen or so songs off his upcoming acoustic solo album One Man Revolution." Orlando Sentinel Online - Tom Morello and Friends "Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello — stepping out as the sociopolitical solo act the Nightwatchman — had an impressive guest list for his show, including Slash and Perry Farrell. He also played an acoustic set inside a Presbyterian church, whose staff prompted him to rethink a religion-oriented speech he had planned. "That's how sectarian violence comes to an end," he said, "with a couple of nice church ladies."" LA Times - South by Southwest: To Reach The Listener "Important SXSW Lesson, Number Two: No matter how inconsequential you think Tom Morello might be, do not - under any circumstances - skip out on a performance by his side project, the Nightwatchman, especially when said performance is billed as "featuring special guests." Sure enough, I missed out on another sure-to-be-blogged about highlight (I think I was waiting in line at the Best Wurst truck on Sixth and San Jacinto) an hours-long jam session that featured Slash, Perry Farrell, former MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer and Les Claypool plus Morello doing an harmonica-laced cover of the Rage Against the Machine burner "Guerilla Radio."" MTV.com & VH1.com - Tom Morello Jams With Slash, Bloc Party Draw a Mob As SXSW Wakes Up Billboard.com - Morello, Townshend Kick Out The Jams At SXSW Daily Texan Online - Thursday Goes Hard with A Grand Finale Check out the exciting MTV footage from SXSW! Austin Chronicle - Spotlight: Nightwatchman Austin Chonicle Online - Whatever It Takes"The song's lyrics, forged in an almost Biblical allegory of revolution, commitment and revenge, may bear a certain resemblance to Johnny Cash's more defiant moments, but the delivery is pure Leonard Cohen, all sawdust and mud in the larynx." Calendar Live, Los Angeles Times - Feb 10, 2007 "People say music can't change the world," Morello says. "Well, we'll see. In my experience, it can - one song, one show, one night at a time. There can be a connection between the music and the audience that produces a tangible change in the world." "Guitar God Goes Acoustic" Associated Press - Feb 7, 2007 "The Nightwatchman is the black Robin Hood of 21st century music," the guitarist proclaimed. "This is material I am very proud of, and due to the troubled times we live in, it seemed like it was an appropriate time to get this music out. Some people might say it's kind of preaching to the converted, but frankly, the converted need a kick in the ass." "Nightwatchman, Rage Reunion Have Morello Fired Up For Political Fights" VH1 News - Feb. 6, 2007 The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe February 6, 2007 My dear people ... OH, how I wish you could all have been at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood last night! It was another mind-blower put on by The Nightwatchman, and words will not suffice ... but I'll try to share a smidgen of the joy here with you. You knew it was going to be epic when you pulled up. The line (which I have NEVER seen) stretched all the way down the alley in back and curved back in on itself ... and this was a good two hours before showtime! The best thing was no one really seemed to care, instead killing time sharing stories about music shows they loved, holding the spot while someone went on a Red Stripe run, exchanging numbers to give the heads up for future shows - yep, the good vibes were already flowing. Once inside the above and beyond-whelmed for the capacity demand Hotel, the buzz of excitement was palpable. The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) bounded on the small stage to welcome everyone and remind them that it was another benefit for Food Not Bombs and all covers ($10.00 US - the bargain of the century!) would go to feeding our city's homeless, NOT bombs, damnit! Above all, Tom walks the walk. He opened the night's festivities with songs from his upcoming album (can't WAIT!) "One Man Revolution" (incredibly aptly named) and killed it. He ended his too short set by saying "This one is for all of you who can't pony up on Ebay for Coachella" (a reference to the HIGHLY anticipated Rage Against The Machine reunion at the Coachella Festival this coming April) and launched into a solo acoustic version of "Guerilla Radio"! Stop it. Too good. That might even have been enough ... but then - Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon) took the stage, accompanied by David Kushner of Velvet Revolver, and another guy whose name I didn't catch. I've known Shooter since his days with the L.A. rock band Stargunn, and I have to say, it's nice to see him embrace his roots and hear the twang a bit. He seems more comfortable than ever in his own skin, and it comes through in his songs. He was feeling it. I miss him playing the piano, though. Great to see you again, Shooter! Next up, Jill Sobule with her friend, Julia Sweeney (Pat from Saturday Night Live!). Their songs/stories together were funny - as ever - and also a bit poignant. I would like to hear them on their own bill without the anticipation for more rock looming. My favorite is when Jill hits the rock distortion pedal, letting you know that there's more meat there than you might have initially thought. I need to re-visit her later. Sean from Seether took the stage next for a couple of songs - I heard someone say "Staind". Not sure if they meant that for good or evil. He seems like a good guy. Queen V. Now, to paraphrase Jessica Simpson in that one t.v. commercial, "I don't know a thing about her, but I want to". Against all odds, in a room practically throbbing for the next act ... Tom introduced her as someone who flew 3,000 miles to play one song. If that was the case, well, Queen V., it was well worth it. Holy. Moly! What a voice on this woman! She fully let the crowd have it, shutting up those who may have driven over from their frat house instantly. She savored the quality of absolute ROCK in her mouth and spat it out at the people, while also managing to be completely lovely. Check her out as soon as you can. You'll be hearing more from her, I know it. And now ... what they'd all been waiting - and waiting - and WAITING (if you were in that line, you may still be waiting) for ... Mr. Ben Harper! I have long been a fan, of course, but if I thought I liked him before, well, that was a faint shadow of the sheer reverence that wells up in me as I type this. Man. I didn't care that my boots were killing me, that it was hot as hell in there, that I was dehydrating from not wanting to leave my post to get a drink, I was instantly BLISSED out of my face. That guy just kills me. His voice lifts you up and far above any cares you may have had and lets you know that these moments are really all that matter. After some old familiars/loved ones ("Amen, Omen", etc) he ended his pure and heartfelt set with one that he introduced as "Lifeline" - both the title of the song and his upcoming album (and the one I'll only be listening to for quite a while). The most gorgeous, lush, freakishly beautiful lap guitar intro ever led into the most stunning song I've heard in a long, long while. If anything was really wrong with you in that moment, then it surely was a lifeline. The MASSIVE ovation that met the end of it summed up the joy and privilege I think everyone felt to be in that room, in that instant. But it wasn't over yet! Tom asked all the players back up on stage for the now customary end of the show All-Star jam. This is always my favorite part, as the clear joy of just playing, sans egos (or even much rehearsal), for the FUN of it, is exactly what you get. My buddy Breckin Meyer (official All-Star Jam drummer) clicked his sticks together to launch the opening of U2's "Vertigo"... with Ben Harper taking over for Bono and everyone else either jamming or singing along the chorus - same as the crowd. Awesome. You honestly wouldn't be surprised if Bono DID show up - or even Bruce Springsteen. Leading to "Born In the U.S.A." I have to admit, I haven't been that proud of my country (or rather, its government) for some time now, but in this moment, singing along with everyone in the room, I felt that old pride well up again. The one that made you want to decorate your bike as a kid and ride in the 4th of July parade, the one that you chanted "USA!" while watching the Olympics, the one that makes you get choked up during the National Anthem before games .. because to be free, to share this song and this music with these people in these times is the whole point of our Constitution in the first place. The REAL pursuit, no, ACHIEVEMENT, of happiness. I know this sounds a bit gushy, but it honestly felt just like that. To top it all off in truly INSANE fashion, Tom brought up Sen-Dog and B-Real (!) from Cypress Hill! Now I was moving into CRAZY happy territory, guys. SOSOSO good. Tom said, "Unless you're Mary Morello (his lovely and inspirational Mom down front), stand the fuck up!" No problem. The jammers opened with "Insane In The Membrane" ("insane in the BRAIN!") and the herbal aura wafted perfectly above their heads. My face actually hurts today from all the grinning. "Rock Superstar" was next, and oh, so appropriate for the image of all that talent stuffed onto that tiny stage. No cowbell handy, so Ben Harper made do with shot glass clink percussion. I love that guy. Tell him, I don't mind. The showstopper, literally and figuratively, was Tupac's "California Love"! If the crowd hadn't gone wild yet (it had), it sure did now. "In the cityyyyyyyyy, city of Compton ... keep it rockiiiiiiiin" And we all did. Still. Always. These are the things you put in the pocket of your heart and carry with you and return to during tough ones. Happy. Rock. Spread it. I REALLY hope I get to see you at the next killer show - or that you'll tell me about your own. Music + Love + Compassion = The whole point. - Carol Gronner The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 30, 2007 On January 30th, 2007 The Nightwatchman once again took the Hotel Cafe by storm with a rollicking hootenanny. As always The Nightwatchman mounted the stage first and played four of his classics, "House Gone Up in Flames," "Union Song," "Midnight in the City of Destruction," and my personal favorite, "Flesh Shapes the Day"¿ I mean when can you hear a songwriter tell you that Jesus was black! His words and emotions struck the crowd with a heavy blow this night and you could have heard a pin drop the audience was so silent when he performed. He got a standing ovation when he was done. Next up was Jill Sobule... She rocked the crowd with her incredible spirit, witty lyrics, and kick ass voice. Following her was Ike Reilly, who traveled 2000 miles to play 3 songs on the stage with The Nightwatchman. Now that is some serious commitment to party right? Ike and The Nightwatchman go way back and the crowd was regaled with tales of their past. Ike's voice was crisp and his lyrics were strong. It was great to see him perform and I'm glad he made the trip. Next to mount were Carter Falco and his band. His electric guitarist, who rocked SO hard, had a Backstreet Boys t-shirt on. Normally I would say that was weird but for some reason I think it worked with the rag tag assemble. Carter's voice is very unique and his band compliments him well¿ Backstreet Boys t-shirt and all. Next up was Andrew Ripp. Andrew was a newcomer to the Hotel and you could tell he put everything into his opening performance. This kid was working hard. He sounded great... like a mix between Ray LaMontagne and someone else I can't quite put my finger on. Nonetheless, he was excellent and I hope he returns. Next up was the incomparable Wayne Kramer from the MC mother f#@$&ing 5!!! This dude is a legend and its always a pleasure when he can join the hootenanny. Finally the rag tag group of super rock stars mounted the stage together. They played "Fortunate Son," "I Will Survive," "Kick Out The Jams," and "Paradise City." Shooter Jennings joined the group for "Paradise City" and rocked out with everyone. I must say it is rare to hear 10 musicians play anything at the same time, let along 10 Hotel Café all stars playing covers of some of the most classic songs ever. These nights will not be forgotten and I hope they continue. Can't wait for the next one! If you'd like to hear more from me, here is my blog link... www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock or come be my friend on myspace... www.myspace.com/jasonrpollock Peace Out- Jason Pollock The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 16, 2007 January 16 Guest artists: Nuno Bettencourt, Kid Lightning, Shooter Jennings, Jon Foreman and Sen Dog. Tuesday nights with The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Café continued on in January with the first show played on the 16th. It was another great night with Tom as well as Nuno Bettencourt, Kid Lightning, Jon Foreman, Shooter Jennings and Sen Dog. The Nightwatchman played four songs: House Gone up In Flames, Flesh Shapes The Day, Midnight in the City of Destruction (new), and a jam with Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Kid Lightning and others on The Road I Must Travel. My favorite of the four was Midnight in the City of Destruction. Tom said that it was dedicated to MLK and what it might be like if he were President rather than George W. Its lyrical content is very descriptive and, as always, powerful. He sings of losing his dog which he didn't just save, but which saved him. There was also verse about a Hurricane Katrina's victim anguish who wished that the president would drown too. It had a simple but melodious chorus that stuck in my head for much of the night. The crowd was with him through his entire set and seemed to know his music well. His Tuesday night sets have caught on. Kid Lightning came out with Chris Joyner on piano- great music and Kid is a great entertainer. He played his beautiful and emotional “I Give You Up” and then he followed that up his favorite childhood lullaby, “Straight Outta Compton”. Shooter Jennings is a real country singer (not that pop/country stuff) who looks and sounds a little like his dad too (Waylon). The highlight came when he sang and played the piano while Tom played acoustically on 'I Am The Highway". Shooter put his own twist on this song. It really could be a country song! Of course hearing Tom play on an Audioslave song again was amazing. Nuno Bettencourt and his band rocked four songs electrically which included an Extreme song "Cupid's Dead", Queen's "I Want to Break Free", one of his own songs (sorry, don’t know the name!) and a Police song- "So Lonely". The bass player sang this one and sounded more like Sting than Sting! To close the show, Sen Dog from Cypress Hill came out and performed "Insane in The Membrane" and “California Love" with the all star band. The final song was "You Shook Me All Night Long" with everyone joining in. People in the crowd were jumping up and down- acting like the 15 year old kids that they still have inside them. It’s also amazing to see 10 (or so) professional musicians on an 8’ X 5’ stage. That’s about $1 per musician, for anyone counting, however none of them get a cent. It’s all for two great causes- Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs. - Dana Born The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 13, 2007 The Nightwatchman’s Tuesday night residency at the Hotel Café continued this January with the second show being played on January 23rd. Tom was joined by Jon Foreman, Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek, Sen-Dog, Queen V, Jerry Quickley, Chuck Ragan. The Nightwatchman took the stage at around 9 and addressed the crowd by appropriately stating that he could not “get anyone free tickets to Coachella,” referring to the recent news regarding one of Tom’s previous bands, Rage Against The Machine, reforming for a slot at the Coachella festival. The Nightwatchman then leaped into a blistering 4 song set, opening with the haunting “Midnight in the City of Destruction,” which was followed by the ever powerful “Union Song,” “House Gone up in Flames” which was accompanied by a manic harmonica solo, and “Let Freedom Ring.” The devoted crowed obviously held a lot of respect for Tom, and rightly so. His blend of Folk/Acoustic song styling with politically charged, passionate lyrics means that it would be difficult for anyone not to realize that what the Nightwatchman stands for is something greater and more unifying than any run of the mill performer. Tom dedicated his set as a response to George BushR |
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